HC Deb 10 February 1931 vol 248 cc307-8
Dr. ADDISON

I beg to move, in page 26, line 13, at the end, to insert the words: Section 61. After the word 'council,' where that word first occurs, there shall be inserted the words 'and the expression "council of a county."' This Amendment is moved because hon. Members called my attention to the fact that in some places we have the words "county council" and in other places "council of a county," and is to make them harmonise.

Amendment agreed to.

Dr. ADDISON

I beg to move, That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the whole House in respect of the Amendments to Clause 2, page 4, line 9, Clause 6, page 11, line 7, line 19, line 39, line 44, Clause 15, page 16, line 18, and the new Clause, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Dr. Addison, and in respect of the Amendment to Clause 24, page 22, line 41, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Secretary Adamson.

Major ELLIOT

I would like to take the opportunity of asking the Minister whether he is quite sure that the assurance he just gave about an Amendment referring to Section 7 of the Schedule and not of the Bill is correct.

Dr. ADDISON

Certainly.

Major ELLIOT

The reference was to Sections 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of Part I of the First Schedule, but when I turned to the First Schedule I find there are no such sections. At the time I took the assurance of the Minister on the point.

Dr. ADDISON

And I certainly gave it in good faith.

Major ELLIOT

And we realised that it was given in good faith. I can only bring this matter in by a reference to the fact that the recommittal deals in part with the Amendment standing in the name of the Secretary of State for Scotland. To put it briefly and non-technically, it is a question of the application to Scotland of the Clause allowing the Minister to make smallholdings for persons who are not unemployed. I read it that Section 7 of the Bill was not to apply, but the Minister assured me that I was mistaken in thinking it was Section 7 of the Bill.

Dr. ADDISON

I find that the reference is to the Schedule in the Act and not to the Schedule of this Bill. I confess that, as I read the paragraph, I thought it was the First Schedule of this Bill, but on re-reading it I find that it relates to the Land Settlement Act and to the First Schedule of that Act.

Major ELLIOT

An opportunity will arise later for discussing this matter and I do not wish to pursue it further now, but I would point out that the House was misled, of course unwittingly, by the Minister, and therefore we may want to consider the matter further when we come to the appropriate point. The House was misled by the Minister's statement, which was the result, perhaps, of intervening rashly in a discussion upon a Scottish application Clause.

Bill accordingly considered in Committee.

[Sir ROBERT YOUNG in the Chair.]